fundamentals of eDNA

This week we talked about filtering and extractions. My main takeaways were:

Backpack filters exist. This is brilliant. What if there was a mechanism that could rotate or switch between filters to allow for discrete sampling without having to switch them manually? I would like this whole fitration system to be compressed and made watertight in a cylindrical container that could be mounted in a streamlined way into a scuba system. Think of how smooth and efficient diver-based water collection would be with such a device?

Also, extractions - like any method - will have its biases. The idea that every project will do its own kit/protocol comparison seems a little extra, and is very time consuming and costly to do well. I still think the most important thing is to be aware and understand the biases that come with whatever extraction methods you choose. But it is also important to realize that most other choices, like primer choice and bioinformatic analysis for metabarcoding, have a much bigger impact on the results than extraction kit choice for most taxa.